Fiber materials are used for many different applications in a wide variety of industries, such as the commercial aviation, recreation, industrial and transportation industries. Commonly-used fiber materials for these and other applications include metal fiber, cellulosic fiber, carbon fiber, metal fiber, ceramic fiber and metal fiber, for example.
Metal fiber materials, in particular, are frequently used in composites to impart electrical conductivity. The use of high aspect ratio metal fibers with random orientation in the composite matrix material allows for low fiber loading while achieving good electrical conductivity. Such low level loadings, however, impart little benefit to the tensile strength of the composite, which is almost unchanged relative the parent matrix material. While increasing the loading of metal fiber might improve tensile strength, it can negatively impact the overall weight of the composite material.
It would be beneficial to provide an agent that allows the electrical conductivity properties of metal fiber materials to be realized in a composite while also enhancing the metal fiber-matrix material interface and, ultimately, the tensile strength of the composite material. The present invention satisfies this need and provides related advantages as well.